The drought in South Africa continues, and the temperatures in the low 40C are considerably higher than average.

On 30 December I finally finished planting this season’s summer crop. While I typically like to be finished by the end of November, the end of December will just have to do. 

As the drought has progressed, people have been making comparisons between this and previous droughts. 

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First it was compared to the 1992-93 season, which was quite dry, but only lasted for one season. Then there was the summer of 1967-68, much drier, but also only one season.

As things got worse this time around the parched conditions were being compared to the drought of the early 1980s.

While I was around at that time, I was too young to remember the effect, but this is the drought everybody always talks about.

Whenever an older farmer thought us youngsters were being a bit too arrogant, they would bring us down with a story from the early 80s.

The story I much prefer comes from a 94-year-old farmer in the district who still farms today.

He remembers the drought of the early 1930s, which also lasted several seasons. Not only was it incredibly dry, it also coincided with the Great Depression, which was in full force in South Africa.

When that drought finally broke, late in the 1933-34 summer planting season, it poured. Farmers were desperate to finish planting in time, but many of the oxen were so weak that they got stuck in the mud while ploughing.

I am very grateful that we do not plough today. This year, any soil cultivation would have wasted what little rainfall we have received.

It is thanks to no-till that I have managed to finish planting my crop this season. Not only that, but last year’s crop residues are improving rainfall infiltration, reducing evaporation and helping to insulate the soil from the blistering heat.

I am still hopeful for rain and a reasonable crop. 

Bruce farms in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. He plants 320ha of rain-fed summer crops. He also runs 2,200 weaner oxen on pastures, finishing them in a feedlot with maize grown on the farm.